Sewing-machine-motor control



Jan. 9, 1923.

F. F. HILLIX. SEWING MACHINE MOTOR CONTROL.

2 SHEETS-SHED 1.

FILED MAR. 30, I922.

lube C 1 g4 mwxw Jan. 9, 1923.

F F. HILLIX. SEWING MACHINE MOTOR CONTROL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED MAR. 30,1922.

Patented Jan. 9, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,441,422 PATENT OFFICE.

FOSTER F. HILLIX, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR. TO WHITE SEWING MACHINECOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SEWING-MACHINE-MOTOR CONTROL.

Application filed March 30, 1922. Serial No. 548,243.

To all 11-71071; if may concern:

e it known that I, Fos'rnn F. Ilnaax. av citizen of the I nited Statesresiding at Cleveland. in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio. haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Alan chine-MotorControls. of which the following is a full. clear. and exactdescription.

This invention relates to a sewing machine motor control and is designedas an improvement over the construction constituting the subject matterof my prior application Serial No. 500.7 tiled September ll. 1921. In myprior application above referred to. 5 I have shown a control for amotor driven sewing machine which includes a depending actuating memberhaving a suitable connection withthe motor controlling rheostat. Thismember is designed to extend down close to the floor and is adapted tobe laterally displaced primarily by a lateral movement of the foot whenresting on the floor. the controlling or actuating member having auniversal mounting which enables the operatmto control the motor bydisplacing the member from normal posit-ion laterally in any direction.l urthermore the actuating or controlling member can be swung to avariety of positions without disturbing its operative connection withthe motor rheostat. including a position wherein it serves as a footcontrol; also a position where it serves as a knee or leg control and ifdesired, a position wherein the actuating member occupies a concealedposition substantially within the confines of the walls of the cabinetof the machine. IVith this construction the operator may hold the leverdisplaced so as to run the machine at the desired speed with her foot incomfortable position on the floor and resting .in a natural position,and inasmuch as the actuating member has practically auniversal motion.if the operator is accustomed to a knee or leg control or shouldper-chance prefer a. knee or leg control, the

actuating member may be swung to a position to permit this method ofcontrol.

In the construction shown in my prior application the actuating memberis connected to one of two co-axial swiveled cuplike members, one ofwhich is connected to the rheosta-t controlling member, these swivelmembers permitting the actuating member to be swung to any desiredposltion to suit the kind of control that the operator may desire. andadditionally one of these swivel members is capable of a universalrocking motion on the other. which rocking motion causes the rhcostatarm to be shifted, and inasmuch as the rocking motion is universal. itcan be produced by moving the actuating member in-any lateral direction.

The subject matter of the present invention is a sewing machine controlconstructed along the lines of that constituting the subject matter ofmy prior application. and the principal object of the present inventionis to provide certain structural features and arrangements which improvethe action and etticiency of the controlling mechanism. increase itsutility and durability. and render it more desirable from amanufacturing standpoint.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain noveldetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts whichwill be described in the specification and set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown thepreferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 is a view lookin towardthe front of the sewing machine equipped with my improved motor control,parts being broken a 'ay; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the actuatingmember and its mounting detached from the machine; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview through the same showing some additional control features; Fig. 4;is an enlarged sectional view through a cabi net showing the main partsof the control; Fig. 5 is a face view of the control mechanismillustrating the manner in which the actuating or controlling member canbe shifted to various operative positions and also illustrating themanner in which it can be displaced laterally when in any operativeposition to control the rheostatz-Fig. 6 1s a face view of the baseplate of the. control mechanism; and Fig. 7 is a view looking toward theright of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a conventional form ofsewing machine cabinet or stand and 11 represents the sewing machinehead. The machine here shown may be of the drop head type, in whichevent the head will be mounted on a swinging platform so that it can belowered into the cabinet. v

The motor for driving the machine may be mounted at any suitable pointsuch as on the platform carrying the head, or on the arm of the head,and in this instance for convenience it is shown as mounted on the rearside of the arm of the head, the motor being indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 1 and designated by the reference character 12. The drivebetween the motor and operating shaft of the sewing machine may assumeany desired form, as for example, the friction drive, in which event themotor will have a small friction drive wheel 13 held in frictionalengagement with the hand wheel 1% of the head.

The rheostat for controlling the operating motor 12 is shown at 15, butas the details of this rheostat constitute no part of the presentinvention the rheostat is shown in outline only, and it will besufficient to state that it includes a movable arm, which when shiftedin one direction starts the motor and gradually cuts out resistance soas to increase its speed, and when moved in the reverse direction towardoff position, usually by a spring contained in the rheostat, it cuts inresistance so as to decrease the speed of the motor and finally opensthe motor circuit. In the embodiment shown. the movable arm of therheostat is indicated at 16.

The rheostat maybe mounted on any suitable part of the sewing machine,either in a stationary position or if desired it may be mounted on thebottom of the swinging platform carrying the head 11 as shown anddescribed in my prior application.

The motor control mechanism including the rheostat, the actuating memberalready referred to, and the mechanism connecting it to the rheostatoperating part are sup-. ported on the inside of the cabinet at oradjacent the corner forn'ied by the back wall and the right hand endwall.

Taking up now the details of this mechanism and starting with the partwhich directly actuates the rheostat, it will be ob served that therheostat arm 16 which in this instance is designed to be movedvertically, is engaged by a lever 17, mounted on a bracket 18 attachedto the end wall of the cabinet adjacent the corner. hen the lever 17 ispulled downward it lowers the rheostat arm 16 so as to operate themotor, and when the lever 17 is lifted, the rheostat arm 16 may rise toslow down and finally open the circuit of the motor. In this instancethe lever 17 is shifted by a link or rod 19 which is connected to atriangularly shaped lever 20 which is pivoted at 21 to an ear orextension of a stationary base plate 22 which is supported in inclinedposition as shownin Fig. 1, in the angle formed by the back and righthand end walls of the cabinet, this plate being inclined as shown in theseveral figures of the drawing. The

plate is attached to the cabinet by screws passing through ears in theform of extensions of the plate 22.

()n the front side of this inclined plate 522 are two co axialcup-shaped members 23 and 24, in the form of truncated cones, these twomembers being nested as shown, and the inner member 23 engaging in amanner hereinafter described, the base plate 22. The two cup-shapedmembers 23 and 2% are held in nested position but so that the outermember 24: may turn on the inner member 23 by the equivalent of anaxially disposed central hollow rivet 25, and extending through thishollow rivet is a short rod 26 having a shoulder in the form of a cotterpin 27 or equivalent means at its outer lower end and engaging the outerface of the hollow rivet, and at its upper rear end being connected tothe triangular shaped lever 20 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

A spring 27 is connected to this lever 20 and to a stationary point. inthis instance to the b 'acket 18 above it, the function of this springbeing to hold the parts in their normal position with the innercup-shaped member bearing firmly against the base plate, and with thetriangular shaped lever 20 and the upper lever 17 in elevated positions.It is to be noted that the rod 26 passes loosely through a centrallydisposed hole in the base plate so as to allow a certain rockingmovement of the cup-shaped members 23 and 24; on the base plate, whichrocking movement is universal, as will be pointed. out subsequently.

The rheostat actuating member which is operated by the foot or knee ofthe operator, is shown at 28, this member being preferably in the formof a light tube which as in my prior application extends down close tothe floor if the member is to be actuated by the foot of the operator.but is capable of being turned to various other positions, and, in fact,may be revolved so as to describe a conical surface whose axiscorresponds to the axis of the cup-shaped members 23 and 24: when theformer is hearing, as it normally does, solidly against the base plate22.

The actuating member 28 is preferably flared outwardly adjacent itsupper end and is rigidly attached to the outer conical wall of thecup-shaped member 24.

Inasmuch as the outer cup-shaped memher 2* may be turned on the innercupshaped member 23, and since the actuating member is rigid with theouter member 24;, it is obvious that the actuating member 28 may beplaced in any one of its operative positions, and, in fact, may berevolved in the manner just stated, by turning the actuating member andthe cup-shaped member 24 about the axis of the latter.

I prefer to provide in the wall of the imner cup-shaped member 23 aseries of positioning openings, and to provide in the actuating member28 a longitudlnally movable de'tent, here shown as a plunger 29,pressed.

upwardly by a spring 30 so that its reduced inner end will'projectthrough an opening in the outer cup-shaped member 24 in line with thetubular member 28, and into any one of the positioning openings in theinner cup-shaped member 23, one of which openings I have shown in Fig.33. Preferably the plunger or detent 29 is provided with a laterallyprojecting actuating portion 31 which extends out through a slot in thetube 28 so that the plunger can be withdrawn so as to cause the upperend to be removed from engagement with any one of the positioningopenings of the inner cup-shaped member 23.

I preferably provide three such openings in the member 23, one whichwill position the actuating member 28 so that it may be used as a footcontrol, in which event the member 28 normally occupies a positionsubstant-ially as shown in Fig. 1. This position is indicated in Fig. 5by the reference character A. Other openings are provided in this member23 so that the actuating member may be swung upwardlyand positionedalongside the end wall of the cabinet to the dotted line position whichI have shown in Fig.5, and designated B, and also to the position whichI have shown by dotted lines and indicated by the reference character(l, this being an elevated position inside the wall of the cabinet whichis the inoperative concealed position. These positions correspondprecisely to the three positions particularly pointed out in my priorapplication.

A very important feature of the present invention is the manner in whichthe inner cup-shaped member 23 is designed to engage the base plate 22and to be rocked thereon, by lateral movement of the actuating member 28in any of its operative positions. In this instance the base plate isprovided op posite the inner edge or margin of the cup shaped member 23with. an annular series of perforations 32, and the member 23 isprovided at its inner edge with an annular series of teeth 33 which areso spaced and positioned that they will normally tit into the series ofopenings 32, that is to say, all the teeth will fit into the openings 32when the actuating member 28 is in normal position, in which event themember 23 bears solidly against the base plate.

However, when the actuating member when in any operative position ismoved laterally by the foot or knee of the operator to actuate therheostat, both cup-shaped members rock with reference to the base plate,in which event, part of the teeth leave the .teeth of member 23againfitting into the openings of the base plate.

Whenever the actuatim member is moved I?! laterally rocking the cup 23so as to disen gage part of its teeth from the openings 32 of the baseplate the rod 26, lever 20, link or rod 19 and lever 17 are pulleddownward so as to actuate the rheostat, and this takes place as beforestated, irrespective of the direction in which the rocking movementtakes place.

It will be seen, therefore, that the principle of this control isidentical with the control of'my prior application. but that the detailshave been greatly improved, these improvements eliminating loose playand providing a construction which is of great durability, as continuoustesting equivalent to years of normal use has proven. and providing alsoa construction which from a manufacturing standpoint as to low cost andease of production is very desirable.

\Vhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, I do notdesire to be confined to the exact details shown, but aim in my claimsto cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from thespirit and scope ofmy invention Having described my-invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a sewing machine haring a motor and acontrollertherefor, of means for actuating the controller comprising a pair ofnested members con nected to the controller, an actuating memberconnected to one of said members, said nested members being capable ofsimultaneous rocking movement to admit of a substantially universalrocking movement to be given to the actuating member.

2. The con'ibination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor, of means for actuating the controller comprising apair of nested members having a connection with the controller, and oneprovided with a depending actuating member and capable of rotation onthe other, and both capable of a rocking movement.

3. The combination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor, of means for actuating the controller comprising apair of nested members having a connection with the controller,

and one provided \vitha depending actuating member and capable ofrotation on the other. and both capable of a rocking movement, thenested portions of said members being conical.

Jr. The combination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor, 01" means tor actuating the controller comprisingtwo adjacent members one 'apable of a tilting or rocking motion on theother, and one having teeth and the other openings whichnormally receivethe teeth. 7

The combination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor. and means tor actuating the controller comprising astationary member and a universally tiltable member engaging the same.one having an annular series 0' openings and the other an annular seriesof teeth normally engaged in the openings.

6. The con'ibination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor, and means for actuating the controller comprisingtwo adjacent members one capable ot'a tilting or rocking motion on theother, and one having teeth and the other openings which normallyreceive the teeth. and a depending actuating member connected to thetiltable member.

7. The combination with a sewing machine having a drivmg motor and acontroller therefor. and means for actuating the controller comprising astationary memher and a universally tilt-ablemcmber engaging the same,one having an annular series of openings and the other an annular seriesof teeth normally engaged in the openings, and a depending actuatingmember connected to the tiltablc member.

8. In combination with a sewing machine having a driving motor and acontroller therefor. of means tor actuating the controller comprisingonemember rotatable on another and provided with a depending actuatingpart and also having an operative (0111' nection with the controller,said actuating member having a locking detent by which said first twomembers are held in predetermined position one with respect to theother.

9. In combination with a sewing machine having a driving member and acontroller therefor. of means for actuating the motor comprising a pairof hollow tiltable memhers connected to the controller; one member beingrotatable on the other and provided with a depending actuating handleand a detent movable lengthwise of the handle for releasing said twomembers so that they may be turned relatively and for locking themtogether.

In testin'iony' whereof. I hereunto atlix my signature.

FOSTER F. HILLIX.

